Search results for

The atmosphere at this high-end bookstore in Colonia Roma brilliantly walks the line between book-as-information and book-as-object. The visual impact is absolute: Impeccable volumes are showcased on matching shelves that rise like cliff faces on either side of a long table that also supports eye-catching tomes. The inventory is focused on art, architecture, design, fashion, and photography, with forays into food and film. Titles clever as well as weighty spur readers to take on abstruse theory, or paradigm-shifting essays, made more amenable in physical books (remember those?) that are downright gorgeous. Every title on offer was gathered from the booksellers’ associations with indie presses or was collected as they made their way along the global art and design circuits.

Within the rapidly trendifying area of Dashilar is Ubi Gallery, founded by Dutch former diplomat and art enthusiast Machtelt Schelling. Ubi showcases and sells ceramics and “wearable art,” aka contemporary jewelry. The featured artists are a slew of nationalities, with a handful from China and Holland. Everything is unique and handmade, with prices to match, although there are enough moderately priced pieces to please most visitors. Look out for black-and-white-polka-dot cuff links by Malin Jansson, Japanese-style striped tea bowls by Arita, and a set of angular celadon cups by Park Mun Hee.

A private-island resort six minutes by boat off the coast of Antigua, Jumby Bay is one of the Caribbean’s top luxury, all-inclusive stays, and one of its most environmentally aware. A $28 million renovation in 2010, which included the addition of 28 suites and a first-ever spa, gave it all the digital-age essentials: 42-inch flat-screen TVs, iPod docking stations, Bose sound systems, free Wi-Fi. Yet its underlying spirit of environmental responsibility, highlighted by its hawksbill sea turtle preservation program and its banishment of wheeled vehicles except for golf carts and bicycles (every room comes with two bikes), continues to reign. Rosewood manages the resort, but it belongs to an association of island homeowners, some offering their properties for rent. So if, say, a 1,346-square-foot beach-view pool suite isn’t big enough, it is possible to do as celebs such as Hillary Swank, Jim Carey, and Paul McCartney have done and plop down up to $20,000 per night for a private villa or estate home. Couples can be perfectly content here, but it is especially attractive to families, who appreciate programs like the Rose Buds kids’ club.

The Jaipur Modern boutique stocks products that put a contemporary, worldly twist on the region’s highly-skilled artisan craft traditions—so it’s fitting that the shop’s restaurant does something similar on the culinary front. Committed to partnering with organic and sustainable farms, individual farmers, and agricultural projects—as well as maintaining its own farm—the Kitchen incorporates fresh local ingredients into a globally-influenced menu, resulting in dishes like pizza topped with free-range chicken, spiced couscous, potato rosti with farm-fresh poached eggs, and a lengthy list of cold pressed juices. Most unique is a separate menu—the first of its kind in India—that showcases the versatility of superfood quinoa, sourced locally from Organic Farmers Co. The “Q Menu” features the grain in everything from veggie sushi, pad thai, and dumplings to decadent deserts. Including house-baked cakes and cookies.

Bangkok’s culinary scene has recently been enlivened by an influx of talented U.S. chefs who are upping creativity levels at venues around the city. One such addition is Texan Riley Sanders, the head man at Canvas. Sanders cut his teeth at restaurants in Austin and Chicago, as well as on a luxury yacht, and his globe-trotting approach to cooking is evident here. The emphasis is on local ingredients in the six- and nine-course tasting menus, which showcase modern Bangkok cuisine in a freewheeling approach. Recent menu highlights have included shrimp noodles dressed in an intense seafood sauce, and mud crab prepared with lotus root, lotus stem, swamp algae, and rice paddy herbs.

Avalon Hotel is situated in the very center of town, opposite the covered market, on a site formerly occupied by a vegetable market. When the neighboring house was destroyed in a fire and the location was up for development, Avalon was born. The hotel has a modern, artistic look with Nordic simplicity and bold colors. The 101 rooms are decorated in a style that combines the strict Scandinavian aesthetic with a more artistic coloring. Twenty-four of the rooms have an open bath—integrated with the rest of the room, so you can watch TV while taking a bath—and three of them have their own gym. One of the first things you notice about the hotel is the turquoise pool that looks like it’s going to fall off the roof. That belongs to the top-floor penthouse suite, but you can access the pool and have a swim while overlooking the streets below even without booking the room, since the pool is open for all guests in the afternoon. And the outdoor street-level terrace is a good place for an afternoon drink in the sun or a long summer lunch.

It may be only 22 miles west of San Juan, but Dorado Beach, a Ritz-Carlton Reserve feels a world away. The resort has a spectacular location on a three-mile stretch of beach on Puerto Rico’s north shore, where Clara Livingston once ran a sugar plantation—and Amelia Earhart visited before departing for her fateful world tour. In 1958, Livingston sold the property to Laurance S. Rockefeller, who turned it into the first of his legendary Rock Resorts. Known for his green streak, he designed the hotel to respect the local beauty, mandating that buildings could not be taller than the surrounding palm trees.

The Ritz-Carlton—which reopened in October 2018 after a meticulous restoration following Hurricane Maria—pays homage to that original vision. Here, every room is beachfront, with floor-to-ceiling sliding doors that disappear into ocean views, plus deep soaking tubs, outdoor showers shaded by gardens, and either spacious balconies or private plunge pools. As part of the property’s renovation, rooms were refreshed with a color palette that amplifies the natural beauty just beyond the doors. Additionally, the grounds showcase 3,000 new plant species, the spa is offering new locally inspired treatments and cuisine, Encanto Beach Club Bar & Grill features a refreshed dinner menu, and the Positivo Sandbar debuted an omakase and ceviche bar directly on the sand. There’s even an entirely reimagined signature restaurant, Coa, which serves farm-to-table fare cooked on the grill. Still standing strong on the verdant, 1,400-acre grounds are the five 18-hole championship golf courses. The biggest challenge is pulling yourself away from the luxury of the resort to tee up a shot.

It’s all about the playful details at Holiday House, from the love beads that guests receive on arrival to the custom fortune cookies they take home with them. But make no mistake—this 21-and-up property is an upscale, high-style destination. Built in 1951, the 28 rooms and communal spaces were originally designed by pioneering architect Herbert W. Burns, one of the major forces behind Palm Springs modernism. A 2017 update by lauded interior designer Mark D. Sikes reinvented the hotel, giving fresh life to its clean lines with curated artwork and a cobalt, white, and warm wood palette (even the bicycles match). Accommodations are organized as Good, Better, and Best—and the latter is well worth it for the soaking tub and outdoor shower. The pool scene is laid-back and refined—waiters serve rosé flights between guests’ dips in the water—while an honor-system pantry is stocked with such desert “essentials” as sparkling water, straw hats, and potted succulents. Pro tip: Make a reservation in advance for the al fresco Friday night fried chicken dinner, which draws a crowd for its locally sourced chicken, delivered fresh that day and served with comfort-food sides.

When you’re staying at this historic property, it’s worth waking up early to watch the sun rise and turn the sky pink against the San Jacinto Mountains. Romance suffuses this upscale three-acre resort of low-slung bungalows, designed in 1952 and later refreshed by acclaimed designer Steve Hermann. The light-drenched Fireplace Junior Suite Bungalow—once Marilyn Monroe’s room of choice—is a favorite for couples, with its private outdoor shower and wood-burning copper fireplace, plus Frette robes and L’Horizon-branded eye masks. The property’s restaurant, SO•PA, is equally alluring, thanks to a linear fire pit and fountain outdoors and sparkling modern metallic chandeliers inside. While the menu of New American fare is inspired—try the honey mussels paired with an Infinity Paloma cocktail—the chef will also create, with advance notice and upon request, a personalized tasting menu riffing off the day’s best produce and in keeping with any dietary restrictions. Pro tip: The deep-tissue rubdown at the indoor-outdoor spa is unparalleled, but pampering doesn’t need an occasion here—hit the poolside sun beds early for complimentary back and foot massages.

Wonderful catamarans that you can rent right off the beach.

Opened just in time for the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics and conveniently located next to the convention center, Canada Place, and Coal Harbour, the ultra-modern Fairmont Pacific Rim is a magnet for visiting CEOs, celebs, and dignitaries, along with anyone who appreciates luxury touches and on-point service. Contemporary, comfortable, and framed by floor-to-ceiling windows, the 367 rooms and suites are among the most tech-friendly around, with the in-room iPad2 allowing guests to book a spa treatment, order the valet car or room service, and control temperature, lighting, and drapes at the touch of screen; even the bathroom mirror transforms into a TV. Check in to one of the cushy Owner’s Suites for upgraded perks like bath amenities personalized with your name, and a customized LP collection to enjoy on your in-suite record player.

Considered one of the best spas in town, the sprawling Willow Stream Spa offers targeted treatments (many featuring West Coast ingredients) and an outdoor lounge equipped with day beds and hot tubs. The hotel’s excellent drinking and dining options draw both guests and locals. The Lobby Lounge & RawBar buzzes with live music and diners enjoying light bites, creative sushi, and sustainably-sourced seafood, while Giovane Café is a casual spot for pizza, coffee, and grab-and-go items. Opened in 2017, the airy, garden-inspired Botanist ranks among Canada’s best restaurants for its modern Pacific Northwest-focused cuisine, well-curated wine program, and adjacent Cocktail Bar + Lab, where culinary techniques and appliances are used to craft unique libations. Art is also a big part of the atmosphere, with installations by noted artists wrapping the exterior, and rotating exhibits and fashion-themed installations adorning the interiors.

The Vietnamese banh mi offers everything you’d ever want in a sandwich. It is an explosion of flavors and textures: tangy, crunchy, spicy, and savory. Chef Tebi Nguyen creates this culinary alchemy in an East Austin trailer: He takes pork that’s been marinated in fish sauce, garlic, red shallots, and a touch of honey and pan-sears it, then applies a final char with a blast of a torch. The meat is tucked into a baguette that’s been swiped with mayonnaise, and then showered with a crunchy tangle of cucumbers, jalapeños, and daikon.

From the outside, the Royal Ontario Museum appears to have been struck by a mineral formation from outer space. When the original building was overhauled by starchitect Daniel Libeskind, many locals were dismayed by the new addition, called the Michael Lee-Chin Crystal, but most have come around to its angular charms. Visitors to this museum of world cultures and natural history can work their way through galleries showcasing Chinese sculptures, Canada’s First Nations artifacts and crafts, dinosaur skeletons, and Byzantine artwork. Special exhibits have included everything from the intricate textiles of Mexico to an in-depth look at the culture of tattoos.

Occupying 25 floors of a 90-story tower on West 57th Street, Park Hyatt New York opened its doors in August 2014. There is an emphasis on art at this sleek hotel, with museum-quality pieces on display in both the common areas and the spacious, light-filled rooms. A rotating art program in the hotel’s Avenue Gallery space features rotating exhibits with emerging artists from around the world.

What do you get when you mix a little Don Draper, a bit of Andy Warhol, a smidge of The Jetsons, and a touch of PeeWee’s Playhouse? The vision of two local architects, the cheerful Vintage Design Hotel Sax is a paean to post-war optimism in the Malá Strana neighborhood, where each of the 23 affordable accommodations are individually decorated with restored vintage furniture and artwork, colorful geometric wallpapers, and retro pieces. Rooms aren’t particularly spacious but are comfortable nonetheless and include amenities like smart TVs, free WiFi, and air conditioning. There isn’t an on-site restaurant, but the lobby bar sells salads and sandwiches throughout the day, and a space off the lobby stocks free coffee and tea, as well as wines and soft drinks for purchase. The complimentary breakfast, however, is served buffet style (you can pay to order à la carte items) and can be enjoyed from the hotel’s fourth-floor terrace overlooking Prague Castle and the Petřín Lookout Tower.